Wedge attachment for hydraulic feeding mechanism



o. 4. BRATZ 2,415,931

WEDGE ATTACHMENT FOR HYDRAULIC FEEDING MECHANISM Feb. 18, 1947.

Filed Feb, 24, 1944v 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0 7 d 7 r w M m 5 Ya J, 2 6 4 INVENTOR 70 J BRA-r2 o. J. BRATZ Feb; 18, 1947.

WEDGE ATTACHMENT FOR HYDRAULIC FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi led Feb. 24, 1944 III"! INVENTOR 0770 J BRHTZ ATTORNEY o. J. BRATZ 2,415,931

WEDGE ATTACHMENT FOR HYDRAULIC FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 24, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 18, 1947.

u TAAA/QA it 4 3 HH J W A I ATTO R N EY Patented Feb. 18, 1947 UNITED smras I earsur oreice WEDGE ATTACHMENT FOR HYDRAULIC FEEDING MECHANISM Otto J. Bratz, Adrian, Mich, assignor to American Chain & Cable Company, Inc, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of New York Application February 24, 1944., Serial No. 523,757

- tion consists in providing a fluid operated means for adjusting the position of a lower die in a press swaging machine and for moving the die upwardly during the swaging operation and for controlling the amount of such upward movement with respect to the amount of feeding movement given to the element to be worked on said die.

Another object consists in combining such die controlling mechanism with other mechanisms of a press swaging machine and for adjusting the position of the lower die by means operated by the fluid which rotates the work and feeds the work into the dies. I

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a standard press swaging machine showing attachments embodying th principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the lower die adjusting means taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lower die adjustmg means;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 5, showing a valve mechanism for controlling the pressure of the fluid against the feeding iston;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the fluid pressure supply pump mechanism; and

Fig. 6 shows dies that may be employed in swaging spherical end fittings.

The invention is disclosed inpconnection with a standard vertical press type swaging machine disclosed in my application Serial No. 475,450, filed February 10, 1943, now Patent No. 2,347,875, granted May 2, 1944, which includes a frame, Fig. 1, provided with a base IS on which are supported standards It and I! in which is journaled a press operating crank shaft l8. Supported on the standards is an oil reservoir l9, Figs. 1 and 5,

which supports a pump mechanism 28 and a valve control mechanism 2|, Figs. 1 and 4. Also supported and secured on the base I 5, Fig. 1, by bolts 23 and projecting to the right thereof is a platform 24 on which is supported an adjustable 2 swaging die 25 and the mechanism for feeding and rotating the article to be swaged.

The movable swaging die indicated at 25, Fig. 1. is supported as usual on a vertically reciprocable ram 2? suitably guided in the standards for operation by the crank shaft It. The shaft [8 may be driven by a motor not disclosed through a belt 28, as indicated. Braking means indicated at 29 and 3!} is provided for releasing and stopping the machine and this may be operated from a foot pedal (not disclosed)' through linkage connections 3! and 32 from a shaft 33 (see also Fig. 4).

Supported on the right-hand end of the platform 24, Fig. 1, is a fluid cylinder 35 in which reciprocates and rotates a hollow piston 36 connected to a sliding rod 38, on the end of which is threaded a fitting holder 39 provided with a re-' cess to receive the head of a fitting 40 and with a transverse pin 4! to hold the fitting in the recess. is

A cable 42 on which the fitting is to be swaged shown in dot and dash lines.

The left-hand end of the sliding rod 38 is slid-' ably supported in a stop block 46 which may be made adjustable and heldin adjusted position: on the platform 2 as disclosed in said application, by means of threaded bolts 41 passing for cooperation with the right-hand end of the block 46 is an adjustable stop member 52 which may be secured in adjusted position on the sliding rod to limit the forward feeding movement of the sliding rod 33 and the fitting holder 39. By adjusting the stop block. 46 and the stop member 52 the forward and rearward limits of.

movement of the sliding rod and fitting holder may be fixed. In setting the block 46 for a series of operations on fittings of the same size the block is so adjusted that the small end of the fitting, that is,the end of the fitting into which the cable is inserted, will extend half way into the bell mouth of the dies.

This has the advantage that the first one'or two swaging opera- ;tions on the fitting willreduce the fitting less than 3 if the end of the fitting were extended into the cylindrical portions of the dies.

As disclosed in Fig. 1, a weight 55 may be provided for returning the sliding rod 38 to the right into its home position as determined by the position of the block 46. For this purpose there is provided a sleeve 56 which is rotatably supported in the sliding rod'and is mounted for movement with the sliding movement of the sliding rod 38 and to which the weight 55 is connected by means of a cable 51 passing over a pulley 58. The sleeve 56 is moved forwardly by the piston 3'6 by means of a sleeve 60 movable with the sliding rod 38.

For the purpose of rotating the sliding rod 38 there is provided a rotary pump construction including a housing 62, Fig. 1, which is secured to an end of the cylinder 35 and constitutes the closed end or head of the cylinder. Inside of the housing 62 is a rotor 63 of any suitable construction to be rotated by fluid under pressure forced into the housing through a pipe 67. Supported in the end walls of the housing 62 is a shaft 6.3 to which the rotor is keyed. This shaft extends into the cylinder 35 and is provided with a non-circular end 69 non-rotatably and slidably extending through a hole'in the outer end wall 'of the hollow piston 36. By means of this construction the piston may slide with respect to the shaft 68 as the rotor communicates rotational movement to the piston and to the sliding rod 38. As disclosed in Fig. 1, the fluid under pressure will leave the rotor through a port ll extending through one wall of the rotor casing and intersecting a radial port 12 in the cylinder 35 through which the fiuidpasses into the cylinder to move the piston 36 and sliding rod 38 forwardly at the same time that these parts are rotated by the rotor.

Gonnected to the outer end of the port 12 is a pipe "I3 through which the fluid under pressure is permitted to escape after the arrest of the forward movement ,of the piston and rod 38 which permits the piston androd to be rotated after their forward movement has been arrested. The pipe 13 directs the fluid to a valve mechanism for conditioning the piston for operation and for controlling the amount of forward movement of the piston on each stroke of the fluid supplying mechanism and to means for operating and for controlling the position 9f the lower die 25. I

For pur o suppl n f u d un Pressure there is provided, Fig. 5, a .pump mechanism 25) which as disclosed may be supported on the fluid reservoir l9. Brojecting upwardly from the bottom of the reservoir I9 is a hollow cylindrical guiding member "IA. The pump cylinder block of the pump mechanism 20 is provided with a cylindrical opening (5 in communication with a port, in a detachable valve block 11, which P911 IQ. is in communication with the fluid in the serves 9 threveh intake va e 18 a d w th e i e la tome r o tbmgh e nu et va ve "1 an th th res oi hrou a i -able re ief va ve 1 .This a t valve is made adjustable so that no damage will be done to the pump mechanism or the rotor by excessively high pressures that might otherwise 'be developed by the pump.

Threaded in the lower' end ofthe cylindrical opening 15 in the pump block is a long sleeve ti which constitutes in efiect the body of the pump cylinder and in which operates a pump piston 82 against a return spring 83 between the piston and the end wall of the cylinder. One side of 4 the outer end of the piston 82 is cut away to provide a shoulder 84 to engage a stop 85 on a vertically adjustable slide 83 mounted on the outer face of the pump block and made adjustable by mean of a threaded nut 81. By means of this adjustment the downward movement of the piston may be limited to control the amount of fluid delivered by the pump on each working stroke whichin turn controls the amount of angular rotation and forward movement given to the sliding rod 38, Fig. 1, and to the fitting 4B.

The piston is operated on its upward stroke by the upward movement of the ram 2?, Fig. l, which reciprocates the die 26. As disclosed in Figs. 1 and 5, the cap of the ram 23 is provided with a block which engages a roller ill supported on a rod 32 slidable within the cylinder i l. The upper end of the rod is provided with a head 93 adapted to engage and operate the pump piston 82. The roller Q! is held in contact with the block 90 by means of a spring Q'l connected between the head 33 and the bottom wall of the reservoir 19. By means of this construction the pump is operated during every operation of the movable die after it has disengaged the work and as it is being raised, so that in all cases the work or fitting is free to be rotated and moved forward as the pump is operated.

At the beginning of a swaging operation no fluid must be permitted to flow through the return pipe 13, Figs. 1 and 5, in order that the fluid which rotates the rotor and the sliding rod 38 may also move the sliding rod 38, Fig. 1, forward- 1 to feed the fitting into the dies. When the forward movement of the sliding rod 38 and fitting ha been stopped the fluid entering the pump must be discharged through the pipe 13 in order that the sliding rod 38 and fitting may be rotated to apply several additional swaging operations on the fitting.

Also supported on the reservoir [9 is the valve mechanism 2|, Figs. 1, 4 and 5, which comprises a sliding valve I08 spring pressed by a spring It?! bearing on an adjustable member I62 which may be turned by a manipulative means N33 to adjust the compression of the spring IOI and therefore the pressure required to move the valve into an open position, Fig. 4, permitting the fluid in the pipe 73 to by-pass the valve and to pass into the reservoir l9. This valve may be adjusted to control the pressure of the fluid on the piston 33' and therefore to control the amount of forward feed for a given amount of fluid discharged into the cylinder 35. By this means the amount of forward feed of the fitting may be varied from zero to that produced by a capacity delivery from the pump and for any amount of fluid delivered by the pump,

The body of the valve N30 is slotted as shown at I84, and into the space between the end wall I05 of the slot and a pin it! which extends through the walls of the slot projects the short arm of a bell crank I05. The long arm of the bell crank is connected by means of a cable I08 passing over a pulley I59 with an arm HD on a block HI clamped to the brake operating shaft 33. As the brakes are applied to stop the machine, the bell crank me is rocked counter-clockwise into the position shown in Fig. 4, opening the' valve I09 which permits the weight 55 to return the sliding rod 38 to its home position. When the brakes are released the bell crank I36 is" moved clockwise, which permits the valve I60 to seat and close the end of the pipe 13. As the press operates, the pumping mechanism will be operated on each upward stroke of the upper die and the fitting to be swaged will be simultaneously rotated and moved forward. When the forward movement of the fitting is arrested by the stops 46 and 52, then the pressure of the fluid in the pipe 73 will open the valve I90 and discharge the fluid into the reservoir I9.

Prior to the swaging operation the machine is adjusted for the particular type of work to be swaged. The block 46 which controls the movement of the sliding rod 38 to the right is adjusted so that the small end of the fitting extends half way into the bell mouth of the dies. The stop 52 is then ad usted on the sliding rod 38 to control the length of the swaged portion of the fitting. The stroke of the pump 20 is adjusted to control the amount of fluid delivered to the rotor 63 to control the amount of rotation given to the fitting between successive strokes of the press. The fluid discharged from the rotor is discharged against the piston 36 and will-move this piston forwardly and feed the fitting into the dies an amount in proportion to the amount of fluid delivered against the piston, The amount of movement of the piston may be controlled by adjusting the valve I IEO, Fig. 4, which controls the pressure of the fluid operating on the piston. This valve may be adjusted so that there will be no forward movement of the piston or so that there will be any amount of forward movement of the piston up to the amount of movement that would be produced if all of the fluid discharged by the rotor disp aced the piston.

When the machine is at rest and the brakes are applied the valve lull, Fig. 4. will be in the position indicated. When the brakes are released the valve will be permitted to close, causing the fluid discharged from the rotor into the cylinder 35 to move the piston forwardly and feed the article to be swaged through the dies, in amounts dependent upon the compression of the valve spring IQI which controls the amount of fluid discharged through the pipe I3 past the valve I00. When the adjustable stop 52 engages the adjustable block 45, Fig, 1. the forward feeding movement of the sliding rod 38 and fitting 5B are arrested, the fluid discharged from the rotor discharging through the pipe !3 past the valve HM into the oil reservoir. When the brakes are applied, the valve IGI'I is moved into the position shown in Fig. 4 permitting the free discharge of the fluid through the pipe I3 which permits the weight 55 to return the sliding rod 38 into its right-hand home position.

The improved lower die adjusting mechanism is disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper face of the bolster plate of the base I5, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is provided with a transversely extending groove I20 located under the platform 26 in which is slidably mounted a wedge block I2I on which is seated a wedge member I22 supporting the lower die 25. The platform 24 is provided with an opening I21 into which extends a die holder I28 which is secured on the platform 24 as indicated. A cable guide block I29 is secured in a transverse groove I36 in the platform 24. The lower die 25 is provided with a flattened portion I32 against which bears the end of a screw threaded bolt I33 threaded through the wall of the die holder I 23 to prevent rotation of the die 25 but to permit movement of the die 25 under control of the wedge block I2I.

Bearing against one end of the wedge block are the ends of a pair of springs I35, Figs. 2 and 3, which urge the wedge block toward the left in these figures against a rod I 31 carried by a piston I33 operating in a cylinder I39 to which fluid is supplied from the return pipe I3 by a branch pipe I40.

The piston rod I3! is slidable in a sleeve I42 which is externally threaded for purposes of adjustment for controllin the extent of return movement of the wedge block I2I. By means of this construction the home position of the wedge can be adjusted so as to control the position of the lower die 25 at the beginning of a swaging operation.

For the purpose of controlling and limiting the amount of forward movement of the wedge block I2I there is provided a rod I50 which is adjustably threaded in the bolster plate of the base I5 and which projects into the groove I20 and controls the forward position of the wedge block I2I.

In swagin elongated sleeve-like fittings, the machine can be operated in the same manner as the machine disclosed in the application referred to and, if desired, the adjusting wedge block can be held against movement and the position in which it can be so held can be varied to adjust the position of the lower die 25.

If it is desired to cause the lower die to be raised during a plurality of cycles of the machine, then the adjustable sleeve Hi2 and the adjustable rod I59 can be adjusted so as to not only determine the lowermost position of the lower die 25 but also to control the amount of movement of the lower die before it is arrested.

As the fluid discharged from the rotor and the cylinder which rotate and feed the work operates the piston lee which moves the wedge block that adjusts the lower die, it is obvious that the adjustment of the lower die can be continued after the forward feeding of the work has been stopped, and also in cases in which the adjusting block 52, Fig. 1, has been so adjusted as notto permit any forward movement of the work. This last adjustment would be availed of in the case of 'swaging spherical end fittings on to cables in which no feeding movement is desired but in which it is desirable to rotat the work.

In swaging spherical fittings 40A to a cable 42A, spherical dies 25A and 25A are employed, as shown in Fig. 6. The cable 42A with a fitting MIA may be held in the position indicated and rotated by hand or a suitable adapter 39A gripping the cable may be substituted for the adapter 39, Fig. 1. In this case the block 52 would be moved into the position. shown in Fig. 1 to prevent any feeding movement of the work supporting rod 38 but the rod would be rotated during each cycle of operation as before.

While the invention has been described with particularity as to a preferred form of die con-- trolling means in a particular type of machine specifically described, it is to be understood that the right is reserved to all such changes in the die controllin means and in mechanisms used in combination therewith as fall within the principles of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a swaging machine the combination of a slidably and rotatably mounted work support, relatively reciprocable swaging dies, a fluid operated piston for moving said work support to feed the work into said dies, a fluid operated rotor for rotatin said work support to rotate the work within said dies, fluid operated means for controlling the opening between said dies, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said rotor, a

anneal fluid conduit for carrying fluid discharged from said rotor to the working side of'said piston, and a fluid conduit for carryin fluid from the working side\of said piston to said fluid operated die controlling means.

2. In a swaging machine the combination of a slidably and rotatably mounted work support, relatively reciprocable swaging dies, fluid operatedv means for moving said work support to feed the work into said dies, fluid operated means for rotating said work support to rotate the work within said dies, fluid operated means for controlling the opening between said dies. means for supplying fluid under pressure to said rotating means, a fluid conduit for carrying fluid discharged from said rotating means to the working side of said feeding means, and a fluid conduit-for carrying fluid discharged from the rotating means to said fluid operated die controlling means.

3. In a swaging machine the combination of a slidably and rotatably mounted work support, relatively reciprocable swaging dies, a fluid operated piston for moving said work support to feed the work into said dies, a fluid operated rotor for rotating said work support to rotate the work within said dies, fluid operated means for controlling the opening between said dies, a fluid supply tank, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said rotor, a fluid conduit for carrying fluid discharged from said rotor to the working side of said piston, a fluid conduit for carrying fluid from the working side of said piston to said fluid operated die controlling means, a fluid conduit connecting said last mentioned conduit to said tank and a valve controlling the pressure at which said fluid is discharged into said tank.

4. In a swaging machine the combination of a slidably and rotatably mounted work support, relatively reciprocable swaging dies, a fluid operated piston for moving said work support to feed the work into said dies, a fluid operated rotor for rotating said work support to rotate the work means for controlling theextentof'forward movement of said wedge means.

5. In a swaging machine the combination of a slidably and rotatably mounted work support, relatively reciprocable swaging dies, .a fluid operated piston for moving said work support to feed the work into said dies, a fluid operated rotor for rotating said work support to rotate the work within said dies, wedge means for controlling the opening between said dies, a fluid operated piston for operating said wedge means, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said rotor, a fluid conduit for carrying fluid discharged from said rotor to the working side of said first mentioned piston, a fluid conduit for carrying fluid from the working side of said first mentioned piston to said second mentioned piston, means for adjusting the initial position of said wedge means and means for controlling the extent of forward movement of said wedge means, said last mentioned means being adjustable to hold said wedge means against movement by said second mentioned fluid operated piston.

67 In a swaging machine, the combination of a slidably and rotatably mounted work support, relatively reciprocable swaging dies, means for moving said work support toward said dies and for rotatin the same during each cycle of operation of the dies, means for controlling the increments of feeding movement and rotation during successive cycles of reciprocation of said dies, means for adjusting the size of the opening between the dies, adjustable means for arresting the feeding movement of the work support, means decreasing the size of the opening between the dies after said feeding means has been arrested, and adjustable means for predetermining the amount of decrease of the size of the opening effected by said decreasing means.

' OTTO J. BRATZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,347,875 Bratz May 2, 1944 2,142,052 Harter Dec. 27, 1938 1,905,047 Norin Apr. 25, 1933 1,633,559 Gullburg June 21, 1927' 1,933,731 Hanna Nov. 7, 1933 1,727,698 Clouse Sept. 10, 1929 

